File Code:

1350-2/6540

   Date:

April 12, 2004

/s/ Randy Swick

RANDALL G. SWICK

Designated Federal Officer

Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

enclosures

Cc:

Dick Smith, Boise NF

Suzanne Rainville, Boise NF

Mark Madrid, Payette NF

Andy Brunelle, Capitol City Coord - Idaho

Dave Olson, Boise NF

Linda Steinhaus, Boise NF

Boyd Hartwig, Payette NF

Leadership Team, Boise NF

Leadership Team, Payette NF

Idaho Congressional Delegations

County Commissioners and Clerks

Maggie Mahoney, IAC

Project sponsors

Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee Meeting

AGENDA

April 21, 2004

Meeting location:    Idaho Counties Risk Management Program Building

                                 3100 South Vista Avenue, Boise

10:30 AM                 Welcome, Meeting Objectives, and Agenda Review

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson)

1.      Committee membership adjustments – Bob Coats resignation

2.      Washington County Title III project/reimbursement notification

10:45 AM                National RAC Workshop and NFCSC Conference Highlights

                                 (RAC Attendees)

                                 1.   Instructions on completing per diem claims

11:00 AM                 Review and Approval of 2-18-04 Meeting Minutes (D), Review and Approval of RAC Expenses (D), RAC Funding Balance Update, and Project Log Update.  (Randy Swick, DFO)

11:15 AM                Discussion on funding agency contract prep and admin costs with Title II funds (D)

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson)

11:30 AM                Review of Project Proposals – Proposal Form Part 1 (D) and Part 2 (D/DR)

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson; Randy Swick, DFO)

1.      Boulder Bridge (#04013) – Ronn Julian, Cascade Ranger District

12:00 PM                 Working Lunch (Lunch will be provided for RAC members)

12:15 PM                 Lunch Presentation: Follow up on completed or on-going RAC Projects –Leonard Roeber, Idaho City Ranger District (tentative); and Lois Van Hoover and John McCarthy re: Proposed Salmon River Road project field trip

12:45 PM                 Public Forum

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson)

1.      Comments and questions from the public to the committee

1:00 PM                   Review of Project Proposals – Proposal Form Part 1 (D) and Part 2 (D/DR)

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson; Randy Swick, DFO)

1.      Mountain Home YCC (#04015) – Larry Tripp, Mountain Home Ranger District

2.      South Fork Payette Noxious Weed Treatment (#04016) – Robin Metz, Lowman Ranger District

3.      Middle Hornet Ditch Users (#04017) – Russ Manwaring, West Central Highlands RC&D

4.      Fire Ecology Teacher Workshop (#04020) – Michelle Youngquist, Project Learning Tree

5.      Idaho Marina Signage to Prevent Invasive Species (#04021) – Bas Hargrove, Idaho Invasive Species Council

3:45 PM                   Future Meeting Dates and Location

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson; Randy Swick, DFO)

4:00 PM                   Meeting Adjourned

(D) = Decision requiring quorum and simple majority for approval.

(DR) = Decision requiring quorum and majority of each Sub Group for approval.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

The construction of a bridge over Johnson Creek is intended to reduce the impacts to the stream bank and streambed due to motorized crossing of Johnson Creek.  Johnson Creek has been identified as anadromous and bull trout habitat.  Presently, motorized traffic is fording the stream, driving down stream banks and crossing the streambed, to use the trail.  This has resulted in accelerated erosion and disturbance along and in the stream.  The proposed bridge would alleviate this resource damage and provide safer and better access for all trail users.

11. Project Description:

This project will construct a trail bridge across Johnson Creek at the East end of the Lodgepole Creek trail.  This will remove motorized activity from the creek and help protect the stream banks at the established crossing.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes  [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

The Mountain Home RD would host a Youth Conservation Corps crew for an 8 week summer period. Total program would consist of 5 local Elmore County youth, a crew leader for 10 weeks and a crew vehicle. Program goals are to increase the awareness of youth to various natural resource areas and types of projects, help develop meaningful job skills, and have them conduct meaningful and challenging work to enhance their life experiences and ability to work in a team setting.

11. Project Description:

One of the program goals is to expose the youth to various resource areas and types of projects. With that in mind the various project areas we would have them working in would be: noxious weeds (mapping, collecting and developing bio-release sites, working with the CWMA on education and awareness, and treatment of noxious weeds); fence construction, maintenance, and clean-up for wildlife, watershed, and range management; developed recreation site maintenance (fire rings, picnic tables, and trail maintenance in the campgrounds); piling slash in a shaded fuel break along private property; fish habitat surveys.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes  [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

Increase noxious weed control efforts within the South Fork Payette River drainage. The expected outcome is to treatment 200 acres per year and extension of weed control crew employment by four weeks through a project that helps to restore healthy native vegetation ecosystems.

11. Project Description:

A cooperative project between the Boise National Forest and Boise County Weed Control to reduce the spread of noxious weeds within South Fork Payette River drainage near Lowman.  This portion of the Upper Payette River Cooperative Weed Management Area was designated as a Special Management Area because of the rapid spread of dalmatian toadflax through the winter range following the 1989 Lowman fire.  Spotted knapweed is also becoming a problem within the area. This is a continuation of work funded by the RAC in 2002 and performed in 2002 and 2003.

Though a Cooperative Weed Control Agreement, the Forest Service provides money to Boise County Weed Control to spray weeds in the Lowman area for two or three weeks each year.  This proposal would extend seasonal employment for a certified herbicide applicator and a part time employee. The proposal would allow weed spraying for an additional four weeks during the growing season, including treatments on private lands adjacent to the Forest.  RAC funds would also be used to purchase and distribute biological control agents in the larger dalmatian toadflax and spotted knapweed infestations to diversify our weed control efforts.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

Columbia River Bull Trout are a Federally Listed T&E species. The project purpose is to comply with ESA policy to restore and enhance species recovery. The expected outcomes are to eliminate fish loss into the irrigation system, to provide for upstream migration and to prevent excessive dewatering of the stream segment below the irrigation diversion point.  Other native trout species (red band) are also benefited.

These outcomes support the Act by implementing stewardship that restores and improves aquatic habitat and water quality. The project will also improve cooperative relationships among the people that use and care for Federal lands through the partnership that is established to implement this project.

11. Project Description:

This irrigation ditch was established in 1883, with latest rights in 1886, to irrigate lands used by early miners to maintain livestock and gardens for the mining activities in this region.  It currently serves 6 water users on about 210 acres of ranchland.  An existing ‘rocked up’ diversion will be replaced with a diversion structure and a waterman gate type headgate.  A fish ladder will be installed in the diversion structure at the time it is checked up each year.  This will eliminate annual streambed disturbance and improve water quality and aquatic life.

Diverted irrigation water will flow through a pipeline and over a fountain screen where fish will separated and be allowed to return to the stream, while the water flows on into the ditch.

The project can be constructed in the early fall of 2004 as consultation, permits and engineering designs should be completed.  Major funding is dependant upon the Idaho Fish and Game FRIMA (56%) and the local irrigation district (18%) of the project costs.  Pre-project monitoring found more game fish than anticipated in the irrigation system.  The project is on private lands although National Forest lands are upstream about 1.5 mile on Hanson Creek or 5 stream miles to Olive Creek, which has bull trout.  Fishery improvements have a direct impact on forestland resources.  This area is at the low elevation limit for bull trout wintering habitat, elevation 3,240 feet.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes  [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

The purpose of this project is to educate Idaho teachers about the role of fire in Idaho's forest and range ecosystems--past, present and future.  The ultimate goal is to form an educated citizenry that is equipped and motivated to make responsible decisions regarding management of natural resources.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

-Knowledgeably discuss the role of fire in four Idaho ecosystems:  ponderosa pine forest, lodgepole pine forest, sagebrush steppe, and northern Idaho forest.

-Relate historical and recent human activity to current forest and range conditions.

-Recognize the scientific and social challenges managers face in conducting fire management.

-Understand the role of active resource management in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

-Teach what they’ve learned to their students, regardless of grade level and subject area.

Training teachers through this workshop is one way to implement stewardship objectives to enhance forest ecosystems and restore and improve land health and water quality.  Teachers leave the workshop with a better understanding of the current forest health situation especially as relates to fire, as well as the threat of invasive species in both forest and range ecosystems.  They also learn about active management of natural resources and potential methods for restoring and maintaining healthy forest and range ecosystems.  They use this new knowledge and understanding in their own lives, and also share it with tomorrow's decision-makers--their students.  Having a public which understands how active management achieves natural resource objectives should make the job of the public land manager much more productive.

Through the workshop teachers will interact with representatives of state (Idaho Dept. of Lands, Idaho Dept. of Parks and Recreation) and federal (U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management) land management agencies.  This will improve the relationship among the people who use and care about public lands (i.e. the teachers and their students) and the agencies that manage these lands.

11. Project Description:

Teachers from throughout Idaho spend a week in and around McCall learning about the role of fire in Idaho's forest and range ecosystems--past, present and future.  The course includes classroom lecture and activities from Project Learning Tree and the USFS's "FireWorks" trunk and curriculum, as well as field investigations and training in the "Burning Issues" CD-ROM from the BLM.

The course begins with basic information on Idaho's ecosystems and the role of fire in general.  From there, participants explore forest ecology and the nature of fire through personal observation and hands-on experiments.  Fuels and fire behavior are explored through classroom activities and field investigation.  The group travels south of Council to explore rangeland ecology and management, particularly as relates to fire and invasive species.  Integrated methods to manage invasive species will be addressed.  Wildland-urban interface issues and using fire as a management tool round out the week.

The course is headquartered on University of Idaho land at the UI McCall Field Campus.  Field exercises are conducted in Ponderosa State Park, on various Payette National Forest sites (including Bear Basin and sites near Warren Wagon Road) and on private ranch land.  Where possible, we purchase needed materials and services in McCall.  For instance, we will contract with a local bus service for field trip transportation, rather than rent vans from a Boise business.  We will also rent computer lab time from the McCall-Donnelly school district.

While we don't spend all our time on federal lands, the knowledge and skills gained at any of these locations and through instruction from a variety of agency personnel are transferable to understanding the current situation on federal lands and various methods to achieve management goals.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes  [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

Goal:  The project’s aim is to to prevent the spread of aquatic invaders by educating Idaho’s recreational boaters.

Objectives:

1.         Prevention – Prevent aquatic invaders from spreading to new water bodies. It is much cheaper to prevent an invasion than to eradicate it once established

2.         Awareness – Raise the consciousness of everyone who reads and heeds the signs.

3.         Cost Effectiveness – Have a statewide impact for a relatively modest amount of money.

11. Project Description:

ound:  Aquatic invasive species pose a major threat to Idaho’s economy and environment. Harmful non-native species like Eurasian watermilfoil, parrotfeather, and New Zealand mudsnails have already spread to many parts of Idaho, damaging some of our best lakes and rivers. Others, like zebra mussels, are not here yet, but could cost millions to our hydropower, agriculture, recreation, and water supply industries. They could also severely impact native fish, wildlife, and plant communities.

Partners in the Marina Signage Project have joined together to prevent the spread of aquatic invaders by educating Idaho’s recreational boaters. The project’s aim is to post signs at boat access sites around the state. The eye-catching signs will provide information on the threat of aquatic invasives species and ask boaters to clean their vessels before entering and after leaving any water body.

Participants include the Idaho Departments of Fish and Game, Parks and Recreation, and Agriculture. Federal partners include the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service.  The Forest Service is asking the participation of the following Resource Advisory Committees:  Idaho Panhandle, North Central Idaho, Southwest Idaho and Central Idaho.  Private and local participants include Ada County, the Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign, The Nature Conservancy, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Western Whitewater Association.

Timeline: The goal of the project is to begin posting signs at agency-managed marinas around the state in the spring of 2004. The group is planning media outreach activities for the week of May 24 in anticipation of Memorial Day weekend.

Budget: The estimated project cost is $27,000. This includes the manufacture of 1500 aluminum signs, 2000 laminated posters, and installation costs.  The  Idaho Panhandle, North Central Idaho and Southwest Idaho RACs are requested to contribute $2,000 each in Title II funds.  The Central Idaho RAC is allocating $500 (their total Title II funds are $125,000 or less than 25 percent of other RACs).